Social Courage: Addressing Climate Change

Message by Guest Speaker Joe Pitts

Moment of Perspective – The Courage of Working Together – Colleen Appel (Written by AJ Fox)

The Opening Words are: Giving each other courage, by Rev. Gretchen Haley.

Come in, all who long to know
how to love this world
How to keep eyes open
hands unclenched
arms wide
Breathing deeply
In, and out
This is a time to practice
Because there is
still so much good, and beauty, and joy But it can be hard to keep telling this tale With all the news
and the wind, and the rain, and the trembling earth (Who wants to love this life, anyway?)
Come in, all who teeter
on this edge of cynicism
broken hearted and trying still to remember laughter and kindness
And the chance to be alive
in these days when so much is at stake
In this place we remind each other
Why we persist
Giving each other courage
to take this path that is not always easy to keep practicing
This love
That cannot, will not let us go
And still calls us on
Come, let us worship together

Deep Peace to You
Words: Traditional; Music by William Campbell
Permission Granted by the Composer
Performed by the First UU Choir

The closing words are by Diana Smith.

As we go forth from this sacred space,
May we celebrate Earth and our shared lives,
May we recognize our connections to all that is in and on Earth,
May we truly and deeply value the inherent worth of all
In this awesome interconnected web of existence,
May we commit ourselves to a new way,
And may we hold our commitments and each other
Gently yet firmly.
Blessed be and Amen.